That's what I call my 03 stock ram 4.7

It started ticking around 40k miles and has continued to get louder and louder until now it sounds like a diesel engine when you're standing beside or in front of the truck. It now has 68k miles on it.

I bought the truck new, i've changed the oil every 3-4k miles. It doesn't leak a drop. I've never beat on the truck or towed heavy loads. The most it's done was haul a full bed of mulch a few times every summer since I've owned.

I've let people listen to it to get their advice, because I plan to fix it myself. Everyone thinks I should start with the timming chain. Does this make sense to anyone here? The tic is definately coming from the front of the engine.

Also, any advice on a good repair manual?

Any advice on changing the timing chain?

 

Take a really long screw driver, put the metal end on the timing chain cover, the plastic part of it to your ear (which is why it needs to be long). If it is the time chain (I am going to doubt it) then you will hear it big time through that screw driver.

 

that's what i would suggest also. not to mention i've only heard one timing chain in my life loose enough to make noise and the car barely ran because of it. just my thoughts.

 

you could also try your exhaust manifold. on mine, 2 bolts broke off and slowly got louder and louder of a very loud tick. found the problem, put new bolts in and it was fixed....just a thought

 

i know the tick you're talking about mmstar. i had a manifold make a tick also, but it wasn't the bolts. the gasket had a hole burned through it. replaced the gasket and all was well with the world.

 

I had a Dakota with the same motor and same problem. I had three timing chains installed between 20,000 and 80,000 miles because they said it kept stretching. FINALLY the 4th time they put a timing chain in at 80,000 miles, they also replaced the bad crank. I never had another problem with it and I drove it to 155,000 miles.

J

 

Thanks for the replys guys!!!

I think we're going to take it apart and check everything out. First we'll check the manifold bolts and the gasket. If everything looks good there, we'll check out the timming chain and crank!

Thanks for all the replys. Now we have some things to check.

 

In case anyone was interested....

After tearing into the engine we found that the timming chain was indeed bad. Everything was worn out, adjusters, rails, chain...the whole works. Got the timming chain kit from advanced auto parts, 400 bucks down the drain, replaced it and it runs smooth and tic free.

 

the Hemi tick is caused by broken bolts/gaskets?!

 

no this is a different tick. it was a very very loud tick. not just a slight tick known as the hemi tick. although i have another tick and i believe its my damn catyltic converters. it was the same sound from my resonator. charcoal breaks inside and sounds like a bunch of rocks bouncing around...i gotta gut the thing asap